Ordering and presenting document files in iPad

[Travis1717]

Hi Everyone,

I'm brand new to the forum, having just now joined in the hopes that someone will be able to point me in the right direction. Here is the situation:

I'm working on behalf of our nonprofit to develop a system in which all board meeting material is delivered via the iPad. In doing so, I'm trying to find an iPad application that will enable me to have some control over how folders and document files are organized and presented in the iPad for viewing. I'm talking about the actual list of folders/files from which you would choose a specific folder/file to view.

My first step was to download GoodReader and, while the application is great for viewing PDF documents, it does not offer much flexibility in terms of how those documents are listed/ordered or how the documents appear visually in the list. Specifically, we would like to control:

1. The ordering of the folders/files, and,
2. The coloring of the folder/file names.

In regard to the first, we want to list folders/files in the order in which they are relavant on a board meeting agenda, and not simply by name, date, or file size -- the choices available in GoodReader.

In regard to the second, we want to have some control as to the color and presentation of the folder/file names in the list. This is important because our meeting agendas are color coded and we want the folder/file names pertaining to the individual agenda items to be consistent with the color coded system.

I am aware that there are board meeting portal applications for the iPad; however, because these apps require that you purchase the portal software license as well, they will not work for us.

If anyone knows of a reader/document manager iPad application that would meet our needs, we would be most grateful.

Regards,
Travis

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

I don't think you'll find an app that answers all of your points, unless the iPads are jailbroken, but many Members use iFile (there's an app called this for both jailbroken and non-jailbroken iPads).

Tim

 

[Mickey330]

You might want to look into using Evernote. I don't think it can do colored folders, but you sure can organize with that thing.

I'm new to using it myself, but I like how it can sync across the web, iPad(s) and desktops. Actually, it is rapidly becoming one of my favorite/most used apps - even after I initally didn't think it'd be for me.

Lots of information on Evernote's web site on it's capabilities.

Good luck.

Marilyn

 

[davidalan99]

Take a look at drop,
http://www.dropbox.com/
I do not think you can change folders, but by controlling the name of the file or folder by using a number then a "-" you can create a custom order for the file and or folder independent of its name. The program is free for the iPad and for you laptop or desktop. Everyone on the board can be given the dropbox address and granted permission to enter via password and or public folders in the box. It is basically a cloud storage system and significant storage space is given for free. Any change made in any document is automatically saved to the box and hence anyone can get the updates.
As for a program to use with this I currently have started to use documents to go, which gives me access to word, excel and PowerPoint, files. It can open, read, edit, and create these files. For PDF's I use PDF expert on my iPad. Again this works with dropbox, and will file and or open PDF's. It also allows me to make notes right on the PDF with a stylus and or the iPAd key pad, save it and drop it back into the dropbox for all to see.

Sent from my iPhone/iPad using iPF

 

[Travis1717]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Tim, I'm looking into iFiles now. I'm hoping to determine whether it will meet our needs before I actually purchase it.

Marilyn, I downloaded Evernote and you're right -- it's an organizing machine. I'm still note quite sure if there is an easy way to upload multiple documents at once, but I've only been exploring the application for a short time.

David, thanks for the recommendation on Dropbox. I actually have been working with Dropbox since I first purchased GoodReader, because I had heard that they played well together. But it sounds like Dropbox also works well with Documents to Go and PDF Expert, so I will check them out.

You guys have been a huge help. Thanks, again.

Travis

 

[paule.berlin]

Hello,

I have a similar question like Travis, but I don't need the coloring.

I have students, which will be given iPad 2 for the time of their educational workshops, but these iPad 2 are not their own and they have to return them after finishing the class.

My students have to be able to comment in PDF-files on iPad 2 (either with a stylus and "handwritten" comments or drawings or with the iPad-keyboard) and the comments need to be 'uploaded' or 'send' back to a server or intranet platform.

We tried iAnnotate PDF for iPad, but it is a very powerful app, which presents a lot of functionality and this overwhelms our first-time-user of iPad 2 and of course first-time-user of iAnnotate.

We tried a lot of Apps already and found the "Clockwork Notebook" to be the easiest for people, who never held a iPad 2 in their hands before and of course never edited PDF-files wit an iPad-App.

The supporting website for this app can be found here:
clockworklings . com / notebook / support /

(BTW check out their pictures at flickr, really funny sometimes and interesting)

The only disadvantage until now: The missing "back channel" as I would call it.

So to sum all my sentences up (sorry for the long posting):

Does somebody know a App described above?

Thanks in advance,
paule

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Hello,

I have a similar question like Travis, but I don't need the coloring.

I have students, which will be given iPad 2 for the time of their educational workshops, but these iPad 2 are not their own and they have to return them after finishing the class.

My students have to be able to comment in PDF-files on iPad 2 (either with a stylus and "handwritten" comments or drawings or with the iPad-keyboard) and the comments need to be 'uploaded' or 'send' back to a server or intranet platform.

We tried iAnnotate PDF for iPad, but it is a very powerful app, which presents a lot of functionality and this overwhelms our first-time-user of iPad 2 and of course first-time-user of iAnnotate.

We tried a lot of Apps already and found the "Clockwork Notebook" to be the easiest for people, who never held a iPad 2 in their hands before and of course never edited PDF-files wit an iPad-App.

The supporting website for this app can be found here:
clockworklings . com / notebook / support /

(BTW check out their pictures at flickr, really funny sometimes and interesting)

The only disadvantage until now: The missing "back channel" as I would call it.

So to sum all my sentences up (sorry for the long posting):

Does somebody know a App described above?

Thanks in advance,
paule

You might want to check out GoodReader. It's the iPad's 'Swiss Army Knife' but it can do PDF annotation really well, though only typed annotations. But it does have that backchannel in the form of being able to email the resulting document. It's very reasonably priced too. You'll find several threads in this Forum that discuss the use of GoodReader. Let me know if you have any problems locating them.

Tim